A HeartBeat
by PieceOfMyHeart
Summary: Curiosity leads to an unexpected turn of events one stormy night for one man when he uncovers something that he can't possibly ignore or forget. Rated M just to be certain; contains dark themes and mention of abuse and suicide.
1. Chapter 1

**New story update! Yay :) I had big plans for this, except I believe I've used them all in this chapter part already. And it's long. Extremely long for me :L I'm still not sure what exactly will happen with the baby. I spent AGES looking up all the baby names and checking their meanings cause I think Bruce would name his kid some exotic and cool sounding name with a deep meaning. It's just his thing. Tony, on the other hand, not so sure with that guy. He'd probably name her Tony if Bruce let him. I'm in the process of a proper cover for this and I'll change it when I upload the next part. So google images will subside right now. Sorry about grammar errors, I'm too lazy to check this over. Enjoy and let me know what you think :)**

* * *

Raging weather held the city captive. The thick condensation whipped down from the black beyond overhead, a layer of lingering fog created by the shear force. Strong gales ripped through barely surviving trees and caused the misting rain to ripple in the air. The occasional squeal of brakes and pulling of tyres sounded, trying desperately to grip the saturated concrete underneath. New York was dead, the streets deserted, cars abandoned at roadsides, street lamps dimly lighting triangles unsuccessfully in the fog.

The man trudged along the general direction the path took him. The frost teased the visible skin of his face and hands rewarding their exposure with an dangerously alarming blue tinge. Clothes clinging to every inch of skin made possible, black curly hair sticking to his neck and forehead, weakened arms hugged around his waist, attempting to hold his worn jacket tighter to his body for whatever heat available, the man was completely drenched. The equally dripping and pointless scarf that hung limply round his neck only added to the weight he currently felt pressing down on him. Every step concluded with a squelch from his shining canvas shoes, water ran down the his spine and sent chills through the poor man's body. Hanging and swinging almost joyfully from his shoulder was a lightweight duffel bag, banging arrogantly against the man's legs with each movement, irrelevant of the hand that tugged the strap in an attempt to lessen the hits.

Turning sharply into a narrow alleyway, the man sighed slightly in relief. The buildings on either side acting as a protective cage from the wild animal rampaging the streets. He stopped and started to straight himself out slightly in preparation for braving the beast once again. Looking up, the ridiculously large tower barely visible through the mist, his target was in sight, he hoped for only a five minute walk till he hit it. The scarf fell off him completely when he leaned down to tie a shoe, resulting in discarding the worthless material without so much as a glance in the nearby rubbish heap on the opposite side. His attention however was successfully gained by the little noise produced from the area the scarf landed in.

"Hello?" Mentally cursing himself as soon as the word left his quivering blue lips.

As expected, no reply. Probably a cat, he thought to himself as he looked down once again to his shoe. Sharp breathing nicked his ears and once again caused him to gaze over in the direction of the source. A very familiar sound that he couldn't quite name. Tiny barely audible whimpers followed the previous sound. Sneeze maybe? Eyes narrowing slightly, his feet slowly moved towards the repulsive pile, every step resulting in the noises growing faintly louder. Rounding towards a large rain-warped box, he stopped. It took a mere minute to discard the obstructive objects in his view and catch a glimpse of what lay inside. His breath caught in his throat and refused to move, hands flying to cover the gaping mouth. Eyes shooting open at the little bundle lying among the various bags and boxes full of household waste.

"Oh my god." The trapped air formed as it finally left in a frantic gush.

Previously owned scarf hung over and across a large cluster of boxes, the ends tickling down onto a small round lump, wrapped in a flimsy, soiled blanket. Only a plausible couple days old, lay the most defenceless infant. The only support the newborn was being provided with happened to be only a perfectly sized cardboard box that wilted and tore with the amount of liquid chucked down on itself and content. The angle the man's face projected from allowed the baby's face to be on display. Eyes clamped shut, lips and nostrils crusted sickly grey, matted tuffs of hair falling across the bloodied forehead. First glances claimed the child a fallen victim to the oncoming fatal storm but closer inspect proved that wrong, with the faintest of movement from the poorly covered chest. Looking closer, experience told the man that the estimated age of a few days, morphs into a mere hour or so. The whole tiny mass of the shaking bundle splashed still red and glistening blood. The whimper that caught the interest of the dumbstruck man sounded again as thunder rolled closer.

Instinctively shrugging off the dripping jacket and trying to move as slow as he could manage through the violent shaking, his jacket-covered hands reached out for the infant. His heart evaporated leaving room for all the concern and disbelief when the sudden weak jerk shock gently shook the tiny body. Arms curling securely around the battered head and tightly wrapped back, he raised the baby clean out the pile and brought the barely alive miracle close into his own freezing and soaked chest. The material hugged close to the baby in a vain attempt to spare some body heat. Low, terrified sobs escaped from the little infant at the handling but instantly stopped when the man's chest came in contact.

"Shh. You're ok now. Shh don't worry. I've got you." Gabbling whatever seemed appropriate in the current situation soothed the mistrusting child. For what he could only guess as being the first time, large deep blue eyes cracked opened and gazed up at him, heart melting in the process of the sweet innocent he held. Carefully turning the infant into his body so as to give whatever heat he could muster, moulding himself to support as far as possible. Looking down at the once occupied space, his mind couldn't grasp the scenarios. How could someone abandon a child so young? The thickening blood just proved how young this child was, it wouldn't be surprising if the birth occurred only a matter of hours ago.

Shaking his head to clear his rambling thoughts, The man sighed. Finally settled, the infant was still again. Only hoping that enough trust had been earned, he turned and braved the weather once again, trotting swiftly out the sheltered area and out into the exposed streets. Shoulders hunching inwards to shield the weakling in his arms, head bent low, he continued quickly. The child's eyes never left his own, snuggling close to the guardian that saved the short-lived life.

* * *

The first thing Tony noticed was how much water dripped over the floors, spreading like a forest fire. The second thing was how he seemed to curve over something, obstructing his view.

"Where have you been? I've been sitting here for hours waiting for you! You could have at least used that phone I gave you." Tony jumped up, startling Steve who sat opposite him. Natasha didn't move from her spot next to Steve, eyes still glued to the TV. Clint glanced up but resumed his place in the book he read a few moments later.

"Sorry Tony." Was the muffled reply. Tony narrowed his eyes.

"Bruce…" he threatened, stepping closer, "Where were you?"

Natasha looked up with a smirk at Bruce. Her face became completely poker when she heard the little snuffle coming from the man.

"You know where I was, Tony. I missed the last bus so I walked. The phone is a bit wet and isn't exactly working right now." He bent his head again.

"Bruce, what's that?" Tony stopped and looked at him. Bruce lifted his head to look at him and turned his body slightly, straightening himself up. The bundle in his arms became visible to the room.

"What is it?" Steve stood up and came closer, following closely by Natasha and then Clint. Bruce shifted his jacket away, letting it fall to the floor with a sluggish thud.

"Can someone get me a blanket? I don't want her to get a chill." Bruce smiled down at the squirming baby.

"A baby? Where the fuck did you get that?!" Tony breathed, eyes almost popping. Steve shared the same expression. Clint whistled and scratched his head in wonder.

"Watch your language in front of her," Bruce scolded, "Funny story actually, I stopped in this little passage and I found her lying in a heap of rubbish. Abandoned."

"Oh. That's terrible." Steve shook his head.

"Here. This one's slightly warmer and I brought one that you can dry her with." Natasha appeared behind Bruce holding the descriptions in each hand. He jumped slightly, not seeing or hearing her leave or return. He thanked her with a shy nod.

"I think you should go change. You're soaked too and I don't want you giving me the flu." Tony looked meaningfully at his boyfriend. "Nat will take it-" Bruce glared up at him, "I mean her, and warm her up and you do the same." The woman nodded, a keen glint in her eyes.

"Fine." Seeing no way out, he sighed and gently passed the baby over to the eager female. "Be careful with her." He pleaded before Tony dragged him away, leaving Steve, Clint and Natasha to deal with the freezing child.

* * *

"So what do we do with her?" Tony paced the side of the bed while Bruce sat stiffly, huddled in a towel and trying to rub feeling back into his blue legs.

"What do you mean?"

"With the baby, Bruce." Tony sat next to the cold man and pulled him into a hug, rubbing his back.

"I still don't understand. We're not giving her up for adoption if that's what you're talking about."

"So you want to keep her? And why her? Is that what you want?" Tony gaped at the other man, gob smacked at the sudden change of heart. "But Brucey, a few weeks ago you wouldn't leave the tower in fear of hurting someone. Now you want a kid?"

"I, I guess so yeah. I mean, I know what it's like for, well you know, being abandoned, neglected so on. I don't want the possibility of that happening to her again and I know what foster homes can be like. She because she happens to be a girl and she's so weak and small, Tony not even a few hours old!" Bruce shook his head, tossing the towel away from his almost dry body.

"So you think some woman gave birth, dumped the kid in a alleyway and left? " Tony raised his eyebrow. He frowned harder when Bruce nodded sadly. "How can you be so certain? And don't you think, as a doctor, she should be exa-" Bruce whipped round, a wild look in his eyes.

"No!" Tony took a step backwards at the fury in the other man's words, "She's not going to a hospital or doctors! I'll do it if needs be, I am a doctor too you know, but she's not going to that horrid place! They'll take her away!" Bruce sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. When he next spoke, his voice was quieter and not as harsh, "Sorry I-"

"It's ok I get it. No hospitals then. So how can you been certain about the whole birth-and-run thing? You never answered that…" Tony trailed off.

"Tony, when have to ever heard of a child being found abandoned like that? She's also covered in blood and fluids, the umbilical cord is still attached, absolutely tiny, screams 'newborn' to me." Bruce turned away and took a deep shaky breath, pushing the resurfacing memories back down. Busying himself with searching for clothes, he avoided looking at Tony, not wanting him to see how much he was trying to keep at bay.

"Ok." Tony sighed reluctantly and ran a hand through his hair. He smiled slightly at the surprised look Bruce sent him. "We'll keep her. We can be her parents. I'm sure the others won't mind a kid running around and if they do, they can move somewhere else." Bruce blinked and a rare wide smile spread slowly.

"Really? But Tony you don't like her. It won't work." Bruce shook his head, smile dispersing.

"What? Where did you come up with that preposterous idea! She's a kid, I have no experience with one. It'll be one big experiment for the both of us." He snorted and sauntered over to the now dry Bruce, a fake but well covered smirk playing on his face.

"You called her 'it'" Bruce pointed out with a raised eyebrow, not entirely convinced.

"You hadn't enlightened me with her gender by that point." Bruce smiled, not bothering to mention that he had in fact stated the baby's gender. He leaned against Tony, nuzzling his neck.

"Thanks Tony. It means a lot."

"Don't mention it, baby." Bruce laughed and hugged the smug billionaire tighter.

* * *

"Jesus stop the crying! If you even call it that!" Clint threw his head against the back of the chair with a fake sob.

"She's scared, Clint. That's all." Steve shared the same passion as the other man but tried to hide it with logic.

Natasha was sitting quietly rocking back and forth. Changing from the ruined drags into a reluctant Clint's t-shirt followed by the warmed blanket hadn't been as easy as it seemed. The child didn't seem to like or trust any of them, stiffening every time they touched her and whimpering. Attempting to dry the dripping infant proved more difficult than anyone thought. Even with the calming Russian mumbles, she still let out a strangled whimper now and then, wide eyes constantly darting back and forth.

Bruce was the first to break the silence that fell between the adults, entering sharply towards Natasha as soon as he located the baby. Tony followed hot in pursuit smirking. Natasha lifted her eyes only and watched Bruce cross towards her.

"She ok?" Bruce kneeled on the floor next to the chair occupied by the Russian spy.

"Well doc, she definitely has lungs let me tell you." Clint groaned. Bruce ignored him and continued to watch the child wriggling weakly. Natasha rolled her eyes with a smile and gently stood up, snorted when Bruce hastily followed.

"Here. She only seems to trust you." Natasha tried to speak as gently as possible but Bruce still caught the envious tone. He frowned at her while she stayed neutral. A smile however, curled the edges of his mouth as the baby weighted his arms again. He felt a light presence on his shoulder when Tony curiously gazed down at his new adopted daughter.

"She's beautiful, Bruce." Tony grinned. He lifted his hand as if to reach for her but stopped and let his arm hang suspended. Bruce smirked knowingly and turned into Tony, stretching his arms out and offering a hold. Tony examined the other man's face, a slight concern skimming his features.

"Here, she's yours as much as mine." Tony gingerly accepted and held her stiffly at first but relaxed after a few moments. The pair locked gazes and held each others eyes. Tony shifted her in his arms and reached over to her head, stroking the curl of hair that hung limply over her forehead, matted with crusted blood.

"Why would anyone abandon something like you?" He murmured under his breath so only the little girl and Bruce could hear, eyes still on the large blue crystals. "What we going to call her?" He raised his head to query Bruce, who fell into deep thought.

"Well, what about…." Bruce trailed off when Tony quickly gripped the now struggling child. Almost shamefully, Tony questioned Bruce with a slight glance. He almost threw her at Bruce who sniggered at his panicked reaction. "She's just hungry, don't worry, you done fine."

"I should get onto that. Jarvis, we need an order of baby stuff pronto. Loads of it. Like nappies, milk, clothes, you get the idea."

"Of course sir." The British disembodied voice sounds from no particular location.

"Tony, can you go boil some water? I don't want to have to wait until tomorrow for her to drink something." Bruce sat down on the seat next to Clint and hugged the child close to his chest.

"On it." The man disappeared on his quest, allowing the other three to get a proper look at the bundle Bruce cradled.

"Now that she's quiet, I think I like her. You seem to have a knack for kids, Banner." Clint twisted in his seat for a better view. Bruce blushed at the compliment.

"Thanks. And I've been working and helping quite a few for a pretty long time so I'm used to it really."

"So what you planning to do with her?" Steve piped up for the first time, eyes wary of the answer, searching Bruce for an attempt to conceal anything.

"She's staying. Tony and I will raise her and adopt her." The smile was clear in his voice, shining through the usual quiet tone, an unusual but brightening ray of genuine happiness. Tony reappeared with a cup of now cooled boiled water.

"I found a cup that could actually pass as a baby bottle," Looking mighty proud of himself, he passed the water to Bruce, "Feed away." Nodding his thanks, attention focused completely on the starved infant. Propping his arm up on the armrest, he gently offered the liquid. Soon she was greedily gulping, sighing contently.

"So you thought of a name? I'm happy with whatever you choose, Brucey." Furrowing his eyebrows, he looked down at the feeding baby, eyes closed and inhaling the water.

"She's the most beautiful baby I've ever seen. Her name is Calista." A wide grin spread over Bruce and Tony's face simultaneously, the perfect name.

**D'AWWWWWWWWW DADDY BRUCE AND DADDY TONY ARE D'AWWWW. Update soon and reviews are always welcome :P**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two**

**Yay update :) Shorter chapter this time but it's pretty vital to the plot :P This is mainly Tony's perspective on the whole 'new baby' idea. I don't know if I managed to explain him well enough and I feel he may be a bit too, easy? I mean, he's Tony Stark, the biggest ass there is! Anyway I won't give it away. You'll have to read to find out more ;)**

* * *

Tony threw himself heavily onto the bed. He sighed and shut his eyes as the soft mattress moulded around the sudden weight, sinking slightly and then rising back into an almost flat surface again. He glanced at the small bedside clock; 23:35. A low moan escaped his mouth as he gazed back up at the ceiling again. He was confused and he hated it. Bruce was still with Calista, fussing over the infant as though she would drop dead the minute he turned him attention somewhere else. Sitting up and swinging his legs over the side, he rested his head in his hands. A baby? With not much of a childhood, how could he be an effective father when his own neglected him? Too busy with his work to even acknowledge his only son. Would he turn out like that? Holed up in the lab while Bruce sat and read her stories and sang songs? Bruce would make a brilliant father, Tony would bet his life on that. He didn't know much about his childhood or past, Bruce refused to even mention it, but from what he'd heard it didn't sound to cheery either. The nature of him however spoke 'Number one dad'. His quiet voice would lull her to sleep, gentle hands calm her, intelligence help her learn and skate school years.

His wandering eyes trailed over to the abandoned towel from when Bruce had previously dried himself off. Bruce was probably the tidiest man Tony had ever met, he never left anything lying. He was too wrapped up and worried about the kid that he forgot to simply lift a towel from the floor. Would Bruce forget to do other things? Basic needs for himself like eating and sleeping? He became carried away very easily when he was working close to success with various projects in the labs. Maybe the kid would become his new project and he would become so absorbed with her wellbeing he would forget about Tony? No, Bruce would never forget him. He loved Tony just like Tony loved him, right?

"Sir, Dr Banner is asking for you. He queries where you went. Shall I tell him you will be down soon?" Jarvis cut through the gnawing thoughts creeping through Tony's mind.

"Uh yeah I'll be down in a minute." Rubbing his eyes fiercely to rid them of any lurking sleep, he stood up and trudged to the door. He grabbed the towel and threw it behind him in the general direction of the bed on his way out. With any luck the kid might be asleep.

* * *

"There you are! Where were you?" Bruce smiled as Tony flopped down beside him. They were alone. "Steve, Clint and Nat left. Said something about training." Bruce shrugged gently so not to jolt the gurgling baby still wedged in his arms.

"Yeah cool." Tony stared down at the baby, watching the tiny fists wave around, occasionally nudging Bruce's chest. A small smile played on his lips.

"Tony? What's wrong? You seem really, off. Are you still sure about keeping her?" Bruce's voice was low and sincere causing shivers to run down his spine.

"I'm fine, just tired." Tony mumbled absentmindedly running a hand through his hair. Bruce shot him a very unconvinced frown.

"Yeah like I haven't heard that one, a few days before you locked yourself in the lab for five days without coming out at all! Come on, Tony what is it?" Bruce turned in his seat and rested his free hand on Tony's cheek, his thumb gently stroking the skin under his eye. Tony examined Bruce's face, his expression that of genuine concern. He smiled and lifted a hand to his, holding it against his face tightly.

Bruce would understand his reluctance and hesitation to taking the kid on, wouldn't he? He seen the same linger in his own eyes during the conversation between them in the bedroom. Of course, his concerns are completely different from Tony's. He would be worried about the Other Guy making an appearance near her. The earlier thoughts flooded back, would Bruce throw him aside for the kid? If not and he was still around, would he abandon his work? Their work? The glorious days in the lab, mostly spent poking and prodding each other jokingly than actually working. Would that all stop? Looking down at the small wriggling bundle, Tony had never felt as connected to his father as he did then. He would be a terrible father, he knew it. He had never changed a kid's nappy or clothes, fed them, entertained them or know anything about bonding. What do parents even say to a baby so young? They never stopped! Whither it was in a film or walking past them in the street, mothers and, a depressing amount of fathers, chatted to the occupants of the large pram awkwardly manoeuvring through crowds. When he spoke to her previously, he was mainly aiming for Bruce's reaction, trying to heighten his happiness as far as Bruce was concerned. It would lose it's meaning if "You're beautiful" was the only thing he could say.

"Are you ready for a kid?" Tony could have slapped himself when the question left his mouth. Bruce looked a bit taken back.

"Well, I, I'm not even sure myself. It is a big responsibility, I know that. But I think we can do it. You'll make a great father Tony." Bruce smiled at the last statement. Tony looked away with a sigh.

"Thanks Bruce." He mumbled under his breath, mentally deflating. In his arms, Calista stirred slightly.

"Here. You never got much of a hold last time. Don't worry, she's been fed so she shouldn't cry. I need to change this shirt, spilt water all down me." Bruce sheepishly laughed and got up to leave. Tony's eyes widened and he panicked slightly.

"Wait!"

"Tony, I'll be two minutes. You'll be fine." Bruce smirked and swooped down to place a kiss on Tony's forehead before flying out the room.

Tony gazed back down at the child who was staring intensely at him.

"I don't even know what to do." He muttered to himself, shaking his head and letting it flop down. A sharp tug on his fringe made him jump and let out a loud cry of surprise. The bundle in his arms started at the sudden noise, the tiny face crumbling as she started to cry with fright. Her hand was still suspended in midair from where it had held Tony's hair.

"Oh no, sh! Please don't cry! I'm sorry, I didn't mean it!" Tony hushed quickly, trying to quieten the sobs. He attempted to bounce her around gently but that only amplified the cries. Tony groaned, defeated.

"I knew it." He whispered. All his thoughts about being an unfit father had just been confirmed to him. He couldn't even stop her crying and comfort her. Some parent that is. He rested his hand on her stomach about to shift her weight up his arm when a little hand gripped his own. He looked down at Calista's whole hand wrapped round his index finger.

"Geesh, you're strong for something so small." Tony frowned slightly as the grip increased. The cries subsided into shaky breaths. "Of course you can't see me. I forgot babies don't see clearly at first. No wonder I scared you." Her breathing returned to normal.

_Talking stops the crying. That's simple enough_, Tony grinned with some confidence.

"So, um, what exactly do you say to babies?" His past reluctance started to creep back. The child made a sound very similar to a giggle. "I guess you don't care cause you can't exactly understand me, can you? You just hear my voice. Well again that's easy enough. You don't seem to be as bad as I thought. Yeah, you're a kid but I think I might actually be able to pull this off."

Blue eyes studied him contently, the hand still clung to his finger. For the first time since she arrived, Tony smiled and meant it. Now he knew that all the parents chatting to their kid maybe just be mumbling to themselves. The kid wouldn't know. Tony, remembering one of Bruce's reasons for stating she was a newborn, curiously lifted the blanket in search of the umbilical cord. He found a tiny stump secured shut with a hair bauble, most likely Natasha's. Bruce must have cut it. His eyes travelled up her body to the painfully thin chest, all the ribs on clear display and skin still a sickly blue tinge. Her temperature was comfortable but she could still be chilled slightly.

"Hey, maybe you're an avatar like Loki." The gangly legs kicked furiously, happy to be allowed to move properly. "No fear, you're not seeing him anytime soon. His brother on the other hand, is more of a possibility." He draped the blanket over the petite body looser than it had been. He looked over his shoulder at the empty room.

"Where's Brucey gone? He's been ages." Tony realised as soon as he said it that Bruce didn't have a wet patch on his shirt. The sneaky bugger left him with the baby and was probably watching through a camera to see if he truly did mean he was happy with keeping her

_Well played, Banner. Well played indeed, _Tony sniggered under his breath.

Shifting forwards in his seat, he froze slightly and looked down, expecting the crying to start the moment he moved. The only response he gained was a little whimper in response to him tensing. The moment he relaxed again, the content squirming resumed. Tony stood up and drew the child closer to his chest, her head resting beside the Arc Reactor. She sighed and let out a yawn, turning in his warm body and settling down. In seconds, the child was asleep, curling the length of Tony's chest. Tony watched her, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. A sudden determination welled inside him. He was The Tony Stark and he was a genius. He could do anything and that now could possibly include the title 'father'. After all, being a father didn't seem to bad. The child he currently held comfortably in his grip seemed completely different to the small quivering wreck Bruce had brought in two hours ago. After she was cleaned and tended to, the child was nothing like the screaming pink worms Tony avoided contact with, again whether it be on tv or physically near him. He had expected the child to hate him and everyone apart from Bruce for saving her, mistrusting everyone due to the birth-and-run business. The minute they both locked eyes though, Tony felt his heart flutter, a feeling of protectiveness washing over him. Yes, he maybe slip up at times but who cares? Every parent had to go through this surely, being a first timer at parenting and learn with trail and error.

"Yeah, maybe this will work, Calista. Just maybe."

* * *

Bruce slowed his pace to a crawl as he neared the room occupied by Tony and Calista. Hiding in the shadows, he grinned gleefully at the adoring sight of Tony standing in the middle of the room gently swaying from side to side, a distant yet contented look on his face as he watched the sleeping form of the child in his arms. A smile spread on his face and he muttered to her, the smile only growing.

_Yeah, maybe this will work, Calista. Just maybe._

Bruce sighed, his initial fear of Tony not adapting to their new daughter washed away.

"It will work, Tony. We'll make it." Bruce whispered with nod of his head.

**See? So I made sure he repeatedly said 'Maybe' just in case I change my mind later on ;D There's be more actual bruce/tony in either the next 3rd or 4th part, I just wanted to clear the air with Tony. I'll also do this for Bruce with his adaption to Calista (how do you even say that? Cal-ee-sta? Cal-esta? Cal-i-sta?)**


End file.
